Piano construction



' 1,642,356 Sept. 13, 1927- F. BREY PIANO CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 12,1925 '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES: 7 11v VEN TOR TOR NE YS.

Sept. 13, 1927. c: F. BREY PIANO-CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 12, 1925 2Sheets-Sheet 2 FIC9': I.

INVENTOR: Clare/now E Bra y W ORNEYS.

- Patented Sept. 13, 1927.

UNITED 'sTA cLAnE'NcE r. BREY, on PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PIANO ooNs'rn c'rIoN.

Application filed January such pianos with a view toward overcoming theawkward appearance generally char- 'acteristic of them.

This desideratum I attain by employing a keyboard that is comparativelydeep in a ,10 lateral direction and provided with legs so as to simulateon the whole, a spinnet' type desk or console.

A. further object of my invention is to enable in a piano casing of thecharacter briefly outlined, separation of the" key desk or console fromthemain portion of the easing. containing. the string frame, hammeraction etc., for convenience in moving. I Other objects and attendantadvantages will be readily apparent as t-he description proceeds of thetypical embodiment of my invention, shown in the accompanying drawingswhereof Fig. I is a perspective view of the improved piano. Figs. II andIII are similar illustrations of the respective casing sections detachedfrom one another. Figs. IV and V are fragmentary detail sectional viewstaken as indicated by the respectively.

-In these illustrations, the main or up- I right casing section isindicated comprehensively by the numeral 1, and the horizontal componentsection generally by the numeral 2. The upright section 1 is amply proortioned to accommodate the sound boar 3, the string frame 1 and theplaying action .(not illustrated). The upper half 5 of the casingsection 1 is larger than the lower half 6, both with regard tohorizontal width and lateral depth, and the ends of the upper portion 5are somewhat recessed at the bottom asat 7-7 (see Figs. II and 'V) for apurpose 45 to be presently explained. Stability of the upright-casingsection 1 is assured by providing the lower half 6 with forwardlyextending feet 8, these as well as the rear base corners of the section,being equipped with ball casters 9. As shown, the frontal panels 10, 11of the upper and lower halves 5, 6 of the casing section 1, areseparated by an interval 12 for reception of the key frame after amanner hereinafter disclosed. 55 The horizontal component section 2 ofthe casing provides the console 13 which f arrows IV-IV and V-V in Figs.I and IV,

I prefer to usescrews 24 (Figs. IV and V) 12, 1925. .Serial NO. 1,767.

affords the key bed 14 support, and has I hinged to it the cover leaves15, 16 that may be swung down, as shown in Fig. III to enclose the keys17. The side cheeks 18 of the casing section 2 are extended horizontallyrearward beyond the portion .13 as indicated at 19, and the whole ismade self supporting by legs 20, 20 which are secured at thefrontcorners and back ends of horizontals or sills 21 providing basalreinforcement for the said cheeks 18. The casing section 2 also carriesa lyre frame 22 which is suspended centrally, and afl'ords support forthe control pedals 23 after standard practice in grand pianoconstruction.

In assembling the piano casing, the extended cheekportions 19 of thehorizontal section 2are brought into overlapping relation with therecessions 7 at the ends of the upright section 1, as shown in Fig. I,the interval 12 receiving the protruding back 1 part of the key bed .14as will be obvious by reference to Fig. IV. Incidentally it is to benoted that the reinforcing sills 21 of the t1 cheeks .18 areaccommodated .beneath the overhang shoulders that mark the divisionbetween the upper and lower halves 5-6 of the upright casing section 1,and that the rear legs of the component section 2 are afforded room byreason of the longitudinal contraction of the lower half 6 of the maincasing section 1. As a. means to secure the two casing sections 1, 2 inassembled relation MD which are preferably applied from the inside so asto be concealed from view at the exterior.

A piano casing constructed in accordance with my invention is obviouslycapable of considerable variation in simulating difi'erent period typesof spinnet key consoles (one such being herein exemplified), the greatvariation attainable enabling an upright casing (otherwise more or lessobjectionable in appearance) to be beautifiedand rendered moreattractive from an. artistic point of view. The contention thatdificulty might be experienced in moving on account of the eaterextension of the keyco'nsole, is, it will be appreciated, entirelyofiset by virtue of the separable construction of the casing. Anotherimportant advantage in connection with my invention is that as aconsequence of setting back the lower portion 6 of the upright casingsection 1, I am'able to secure greater lateral depth beneath the keyboard whereby the player is givenjust so much.

right action accommodatin section embodying upper and lower halves withintervening side recessions, and a self-supporting horizontal sectionincluding the key-bed, said horizontal sect-ion having, extended sidecheeks interfitting the recessions in the upright section and,sustaining legs at the.

front corners and back ends of the side cheeks.

2. The combination, in a piano, of an upright action-enclosing sectioncomprising upper and lower halves of greater and lesser width and depthrespectively, and a selfsupporting horizontal console section havingextended side cheeks interiitting complemental recessions-in the ends ofthe upright sec- 7 tion with sustaining legs at the front corners andback ends of the side cheeks.

3. The combination, in a piano, of an upright action-enclosing sectioncomprising neaasee upper and lower halves, the upper being of greaterwidth and depth than the lower and separated by an open space, aself-support ing horizontal console section aving extended side cheeksand including the keybed, the back of the key-bed being accommodated inthe open space aforesaid with the. extended side'cheeks interfittingcomplemental recessions in the ends of the upright section, andsustaining legs secured at the front corners and back ends of theaforesaid side cheeks.

4. In a piano of the type described, an upright action accommodatingsection comprising upper and lower halves, the upper half being ofgreater Width and depth than the lower with the ends horizontallyrecessed, and said halves being separated by an open interval along thefront panels only.

5. In a piano of the type described, .a horizontal console sectionaccommodating the key-bed and having .rearwardly extended side cheekswith supporting legs at the front of said section and at the back endsof the side cheeks. 4

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia,Pennsylw Vania, this 9th day of January, 1925.

. CLARENCE F. BREY.

